Styling My Life

Happy Valentine's!

2011-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Love this house tour.
go here.

Merry Christmas.

2010-12-17T00:46:00.000-08:00

click for more cards send this card through mail

Eat me in Pareeee ...

2010-11-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

No, I dont have plans for Paris..... but I have a list of eats if i do ever go back there.
Why I came up with the list? I don't usually need a reason for coming up with one. I guess just being prepared, in case I do need to up and go on the fly. This list is not for everyone - lemme tell you, to eat well in Paris takes a decent budget (an average lower end budget per person for lunch 18e and dinner with wine 30+ - mind you it could be double that for some of the more popular restaurants for a 3 courses). So my list is for those who want a taste of Paris, on a budget. I would probably budget to eat 1 good meal a day, the other meals would be more cafe style, tasting some nice pastries, a good deli, picnic with a bottle of wine and some cheese and bread (cheap and awesome idea, if i do say so myself. Grab some supplies from the grocery store and head on to one of the many gardens or by the Seine), creperies or falafel stops. For that one special meal a day - it is also a good idea to have it 'lunch' instead of dinner - as most places have different menus for lunch. Also look out of set menus. Buy water from the grocery store, because you could easily spend a decent amount by stopping along the way for sodas and such throughout the day. 5e a pop adds up for 2 people. Also, in Paris you can ask for tap water instead of bottled water to save $ ( une carafe de l'eau du robinet, s'il vous plait). Another good outing would be to visit one of the many morning markets, Ok so here is my list in no particular order. Reservations needed at the more proper places.

Creperie Ulysee en Gaule-28 rue Cler.Great crepes. Cheap.

Le Reminet * 3,rue des Grands-Degres, 75005 Paris, France * 01 44 07 04 24 | / (15e set lunch)

Frenchie, 5, * 5 rue du Nil, 75002 Paris, France * 0140399619 | / (Mid priced)

Le Petit Vatel * 5,rue Lobineau, 75006 Paris, France * 01 43 54 28 49 (15-20 per person -Cheap)

Le Machon d'Henri. * 8, rue Guisade, Saint-Germain, Paris, France. * 01 43 29 08 70

Les Papilles * 30, rue Gay Lussac, 75005 Paris, France * 01 43 25 20 79 (35e per person)

Lescure * 7,rue de Mondovi, 75001 Paris, France * 01 42 60 18 91 (close to rue de Rivoli)

L'as du Falafel * 34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France * +33 142 747499 (close to rue de Rivoli) Falafel dude!

Autour d'un Verre * 21 rue de trevise (Rue Richer), 75 009 Paris, France * 01 48 24 43 74

Torrefacteur Verlet @ 125 r. Saint-Honore (coffee)

le trumilou * 84 quai de l'hotel de ville, 75004 Paris, France * 00 (0)1 42 77 63 98 | (mid priced proper dinner place)

Ilana - 23 rue Jean Giraudoux

Hugo- 12, rue papillon t-0144830163

Le Jardin d'Artemis - 34 rue Mouffetard t-01 45 35 17 47

La tartine - 24, Rue Rivoli, 75004 Paris, 33 1 42 72 76 85

Les Pipos - Rue Ecole Polytechnique 2, 75005 Paris, France

Laduree

Chez Savy -23,rue Bayard, Paris, France. t-01 47 23 46 98

Presto Fresco- 14, rue Montmartre, 75001 Paris, T-+33 1 40 26 83 94

Saxe-Breteuil Market of the 7th Arrondissement (market from Place de Breteuil to Avenue de Segur and takes place from 7 am until 2:30 pm every Thursday and Saturday morning. Close to Eiffel Tower )

Boulevard Raspail Market (more upscale). Market Days: Tuesday through Sunday. Sunday is organic market day.Metro: Rennes, Line 12

Le Poulbot * 3, Rue Poulbot, Paris, France (Dinner - small romantic rustic.30+)

Le Jardin d'Artemis- * 34 Rue Mouffetard, Paris, France * 01.45.35.17.47 (affordable 20-25e dinners)

Les Petits Mitrons (Pâtisserie Artisanale): 26 Rue Lepic, 18th. Open Mon-Fri, 7am-1:30pm and 3-5:30pm; Sat, Sun, 7am-5:30pm. Closed Wed. Chocolate/fruit tarts, best.

Le Coquelicot des Abbesses ( cheap breakfast, hot chocolate) * 24, rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris, France

Disclaimer!!! I've never been to any of them - so don't hold me accountable. And any or all info may be erroneous. :) It's my list - don't steal it.

I intend to plot these places out on a map one day, but for now, I'm posting so as to not lose the info.

Art love

2010-08-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Paul Ruiz... my latest.... find.

Table?

2010-06-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

Wow.. i love this idea... a chest for a living room table... its too chunky for my current room but heck-a cool.
Source

Outdoor Chairs...

2010-06-04T16:12:00.001-07:00

How adorable.
Source Apartment Therapy

House tour

2010-05-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

My taste... great house tour, from apartment therapy site. More images .... click link >
Cameron & Matt's House

Art

2010-05-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

Would love to have one of her pieces. Thanks for the tip 'decor8'.

by Lisa Whatmough
http://www.squintlimited.com

Wall Color

2010-05-23T04:30:00.001-07:00

Looking to paint some walls this summer. Keeping most of it WHITE... and thinking of a feature wall in each room.

Source: http://www.greatinteriordesign.com

Source: http://thelennoxx.zymichost.com

Source :http://afpinteriors.blogspot.com

Source:http://modern-interior-decoration.blogspot.com

Some wall color choices I am considering. Intend to keep most of the walls WHITE and one colored wall in each room as a feature wall.

Source:www.interiorzine.com

Source: http://homedesigninterior.com

Source: House beautiful

Source:http://www.hgtv.com

Lust

2010-04-28T14:08:00.001-07:00

Love the ID in this space.
Love dark colored walls, mixed in with whites. And some industrial styled textures.
I cant choose just one of the photos to post here, you just have to check out the whole set. click
Source: All the best blog.

ok ok just one teaser photo...

ID - Francine Gardner

2009-12-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

Really love her ID
View the showcase
Francine Gardner

*found at All the Best

PS - I am going to paint me that painting.

Cake Classic

2009-11-12T03:57:00.000-08:00

2009-10-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Christophe Decarnin by http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

I <3 this skin

2009-10-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

I dont own one... but i likey.

Featured Foodie Blog

2009-09-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

There are so many blogs out there that i read just to feed my hungry eyes on.... i have no idea why i do that. its like window shopping i guess, ... without the calories... like porn, without the ... ok you get the idea.
So here is my featured blog today $30 a week , its not so much about the recipes or what great cooks they are, but its the concept i guess. In these tough times, i think we are all feeling our belts tightening ... err.. ok so i've gained a kilo or two, but what i meant was, we all have to tighten our belts and watch the grocery budget. So this blog shows us how 1 couple lives on a weekly 30US$ grocery budget. I think that is workable, i mean its easy to go shopping on the weekend and spend double or triple that, but i'm sure half of that money goes to things that are not really feeding our NEEDS,... right? Do you really need 3 tubs of different flavours of ice cream?

I guess if you have kids you have to up the budget a little but the concept is the same. What i try to do is have a rough budget in mind before i step into the store..:) or at least dont bring along more than you are willing to spend.

What do I spend on food a week? Well we have dinner at the in-laws (upstairs) on weekdays and i do eat lunch at work, so our groceries are not much at the moment. I think we are able to survive on about 35euro/150 euro a month for household food items... mainly dog food, bread, milk, cheese, ham/turkey, pasta, sauce ingredients, 1 or 2 meat products, soft drinks, coffee, ...... (includes perhaps ingredients for us to cook about 2 meals a week.) But then we eat out or order in about once a week. And i spend about 4-5 euros in the day for breakkie/ lunch. So even with a budget in mind, quite a lot of money is spend just on food!
With that in mind.... the 30$ a week blog is really a good idea... they managed to cut their monthly costs down by A LOT!

Formal gowns

2009-07-26T12:47:00.001-07:00

Simple and elegant. Classy with just the right amount of omph!
Jim Hjelm

Bedroom

2009-07-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have my eye on this color for the bedroom. Some sort of a ice grey blue. Cept is goes well with whites.. and most of my stuff is medium brown.

Style i love...

2009-06-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Style inspiration ... from non other than ........ The Sartorialist!

Interesting Deco bits..

2009-06-07T13:33:00.001-07:00

Like? No Like?

http://www.pointclickhome.com

On to a healthier menu perhaps..

2009-03-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Finally my SO has willingly agreed to eating a little healtier... i'm not going to delve into why, how and what may have happened to push him over the edge... but anyway lets just say the door has just inched open... just a tad.

Grocery time is up soon, in a day or two and i'm looking at some healthy yet tasty dishes... quick & easy dishes in which to work my grocery list around.

Just off the top of my head... (recipes will come later, when i mix and match and research and blah blah... you know i never follow any anyway)!

1. Baked veggie springrolls with spicy noodles...
2. Spinach, Feta & Turkey Pasta Casserole (cook 1 freeze 1)
3. Chicken Rice in a Pot (oyster sauce, garlic ginger, green peppers, mushroom, green onions)
4. Yogurt Curry Chicken with dhal, peas, carrot and potato with rice/pita (cook 1 freeze 1)
5. Baked sweet peppers with feta, spicy tomato sauce pasta
6. Vegetarian Lasagna (cook 1 freeze 1)
7. Potato Salad with baked fish fingers
8. Coleslaw with Crispy roast chicken
9. Homemade Pizza
10 Tuna Burger Melt
11. Home made Chicken Souvlakis (grilled chicken on arabic pita, with fresh onion, salad, yogurt...) (grill extra chicken for later use in salads or fried rice/ noodles)
12. Spinach rice (spanakorizo)

Suggestions welcomed!

Simple Pasta Casserole

2009-03-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

I'm sure i'm not the only one who sometimes decides to cook something just cause they need to finish off some ingredients that they have laying around. Well thats how this recipe started out.. i've made it twice now, with the same basic idea .. and then some depending on what you need to get rid off.

lets just call this one ... Spinach Pasta Casserole

Firstly boil whatever pasta you need to use in some salted water/ i use 1 stock cube and not too much water (probably 400gm only needed - just boil a 500gm pack and remove a handful after its done).. al dente. Drain and toss with some oil or butter so it doesnt stick. when well drained lay out in a casserole dish.

in a pan, fry up some bacon - abt 150 gms till lightly browned, remove and drain... or you could use cooked ham or turkey or boiled chicken breast.

then saute in olive oil, 2 medium onions chopped, after 2 mins add some chopped frozen spinach about 2 handfuls or 300gms, add a half tsp dried dill or 1 tsp fresh ... some nutmeg, black pepper and some salt abt half tsp. saute for abt 3 mins... remove mix well with the bacon/ham/turkey/chicken - you can add mushrooms, cooked peppers, stewed tomato... whatever you please... mix everything with the cooked pasta.. make sure they dont all just fall to the bottom of the casserole dish, better for the stuff to be onthe top part of the dish...

ok now heat up some milk .. i just pop 2 mugs of milk into the microwave on low.. make sure it is just heated up and not boiling... in the meantime.. melt 50gm butter in a pot, once melted add 1.5 tbsp flour.. stir till combined... abt 1-2 mins... pour first mug milk in.. mix well.. once combined, add 2nd mug, stir ... add half tsp salt, some onion and garlic powder, lots of nutmeg and black pepper, stir well... let simmer on low for another 2-3 mins.. remove from heat and let to cool.

in mean time.. sprinkle grated cheese about 3 or 4 handfuls on top of the pasta and mixed ingredients.

now back to the white sauce - add 200gm of cream (not sweetened type), mix well, add 2 eggs, make sure the sauce is cooled down otherwise egg will cook, and thats not what we want!!.. mix well... pour over pasta dish. use a chopstick and stick it into the dish and wiggle it around a bit so the sauce kinda gets a little bit into the dish and not just on the top, but thats optional. now sprinkle 2 handfuls of grated parmesan on top. (optional to add the parmesan later... midway through the baking, so it wont burn) or just add it in the beginning and watch.. if it is burning.. put the dish lower or lightly cover the top with foil

bake for an hour at about 175C
remove from oven and let sit for at least 1 hour before serving... (it will still be hot ... ) it takes at least 3 hours to fully cool down.

*will add a photo soon, but there is only 15% left of the dish! hahaha....

Summer 2008

2009-03-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Elafonissos Island 2008, Just some clips for memories... to keep me warm on a winters day :)

My poor guy! What a stalker i am!

Good Goop

2009-03-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

One newsletter i enjoy receiving in the email is GOOP
Gwyneth Paltrow's very own ... musings and recommendations. Love the simple format of it. Not intimidating. Casual writing style and laid back modern topics.. food, travel, and other lifestyle thingies... you can just go to the link and subscribe or read some of the back issues and see if its your thing.

Coleslaw

2009-02-05T11:41:00.001-08:00

Weirdly enough i never reallly liked coleslaw... for those of us in Malaysia, we are introduced to slaw by way of KFC. In Greece they dont serve slaw in KFC, they serve the set plate with regular salad with a vinegrette.

Anywho... i've made slaw now a coupla times due to the fact that i bought a big ol head of cabbage, used 20% of it in a chicken soup and ... well, waste not want not and what else does one do with cabbage. Made it once and the boy loved it, so what the heck.

Here is my recipe. Serves 3-4 depending on serving size.
3 cups finely chopped white cabbage
1 cup finely shredded carrot
1 small finely chopped red onion
throw them all into a bowl.
for the dressing (mix the following well):
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic/cider vinegar
3 tbsp mayo/ salad cream/ miracle whip
half tsp mustard (optional)
1 tsp sugar
salt & black pepper
5 tbsp fresh milk

mix the veggies and dressing well, and let it sit in the fridge for a bit before serving. Mix again before serving. I throw in some olives when serving, just for an extra bite.

Fixture fix

2009-02-04T12:30:00.001-08:00

Looks like my taste is leaning toward more of simple classic industrial fluid shapes.
These gems were taken off
cribcandy
How much would YOU pay from a pendant ceiling light fixture...?
I think i would be willing to pay about 169 Euro for something i really really liked.
And only pay more if its something of a collectors item, antique or perhaps something that i would not get bored with after 10 years, that said... i wouldn't pay more than 399 euros for even that. :)

Easy Peasy Marble cake

2009-01-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Al's Marble Cake (with 9 ingredients that you most likely have at home)

150gm butter
150 gm sugar ( i use about 3/4 mug, like it less sweet)
mix well
add 3 eggs
add vanilla essense about 2 tsp i use dry kind about half tsp
mix
sift in about 350gm cake flour (about 2 mugs full), 2 tsp baking powder, half tsp salt, alternate with half cup fresh milk
preheat oven to 200C
line loaf tin/ rectangle tray, spread half the mixture in it
add 2.5 tbsp cocoa powder into remaining mixture with 3 tbsp of milk, mix well
add that into pan, just make sure you have some cocoa parts all over the top and use a knife to swirl it around a bit, dont mix too much just make sure there will be a bit of light and dark in every piece later on.
put pan into oven - lower half of the oven as the top tends to brown a bit too fast.
turn heat to about 180C, bake about 45-55 mins, check at 30 mins, if top is browning too fast, just lightly cover top with foil
insert knife in center of cake right to the bottom, if it comes out clean, should be done... try a few spots... i baked mine for 40 mins and did the test and had to put it back another 15..... so depending on your oven really.
remove and let it rest awhile... be careful when removing the cake, layers may tend to separate when you flip it over ( i didnt line my pan, which i will have to do next time)
Tastes better when its cooled down at least 30 mins.
Loved the slightly crunchy texture of the sides and top.

Ideas for day room, sleeper sofa, daybed, futon

2009-01-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

www.roomandboard.com
www.dwr.com
www.charlesprogers.com
www.cb2.com
www.sleepersofa.com
www.sofasleep.com
www.westelm.com
www.innovationliving.com

Small Space clips

2009-01-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Just some ideas for small spaces that i think deserve to be bookmarked for future reference.

Etsy finds - Original Art for $55 and below

2009-01-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

Some finds i love....

oops... edit!
*one of these pieces cost 1,000 $.
Guess which one?!

Etsy finds - Original Art for $10 and below

2009-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

ETSY
If you like shopping for gifts online, we'll here you go,.. i've found a few things that i would love to buy if I did shop online (yes, i am one of the remaining few who have never bought anything online other than booking hotels and such)..
If you are a budding wannabee art collector, etsy is a good place to look for cheapish original art pieces. Why get a poster when you could have a nice original piece... here are my picks for original art pieces below USD$10, most are very small in size but would look really great with a nice frame. Space is good. (sure there are cheaper works but i think this is a great price for something unique and almost everyone can afford)

Vasilopita 2009

2008-12-31T16:47:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at making Vasilopita

Al's Reduced Sugar Vasilopita

Jan 1, 2009

Just tasted it! Not bad for my first attempt. One would think that using only half the amount of sugar (regular recipes use about 2 cups sugar, whereas i used half cup brown sugar and half cup fructose sugar) would make quite a bland cake. But that was not the case, the aroma from the cake was really strong and it had a rich blend of flavors from the nuts, cinnamon, clove, cognac... and with the orange juice and zest, the cake was really 'festive' a nice change from the usual fruit cake and such. It was light without being boring. Not overly sweet, and the amount of butter was just right. I hope someone else would give it a try and let me know if you like it too!! Wikipedia description:Vasilopita is a traditional New Year's Day bread or cake in Greece and many other areas in eastern Europe and the Balkans which contains a hidden coin or trinket which gives good luck to the receiver. It is made of a variety of doughs, depending on regional and family tradition, including tsoureki.

SERVES 14 , 1 12 inch pan (change servings and units)

Ingredients

* 175 g butter, softened
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 eggs
* 400 g cake flour
* vanilla essence
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup orange juice ( i guess you could just juice the orange that you zested, if you dont get half a glass of orange juice from one orange then just add a little more milk to make up for it)
* 1/2 cup cognac
* 1 tablespoon orange zest / from 1 orange
* 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
* 1 clean washed coin wrapped tightly in aluminum foil
* 2 tablespoons icing sugar, topping

Instructions: ( i guess just use your usual method of baking a cake, i couldnt really read the instructions in greek so i didnt bother to follow the steps).

1. Just note that if you have a mixer - good for you, i did mine by hand, woe is me. And when i say 'cup' in measurement, i mean a regular coffee mug not dainty teacup.
2. Mix the sugar and butter till combined well, or sugar is melted.
3. add egg yolks, mix.
4. add sifted flour mixed with the baking powder and baking soda into mixture.
5. add milk, mix.
6. add orange juice, mix.
7. add cinnamon, vanilla, clove, salt, mix well.
8. fold in beaten stiff egg whites, cognac, orange zest, just just enough to combine.
9. add walnuts, mix.
10. line pan with baking paper - i didnt have to grease mine, but whatever floats your boat.
11. pour half the mixture in pan, drop the foil wrapped coin somewhere off-center and cover with remaining mixture.
12. bake in center of preheated oven - 175C for about 1 hour ( if it is browning too soon, move the tray to lower position).
13. Remove from pan to cool on rack.
14. Dust with icing sugar or glaze or ice as preferred.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 (139g)
Recipe makes 14 servings

101 Appetizers

2008-12-27T15:49:00.001-08:00

Have never thrown a party serving just appetizers... maybe. 1 day.
This might come in handy... i bet i could find 8 good ones out of 101, right?
The Minimalist
101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes or Less

Here are some that sound simple enough. Yeah i know, you're probably saying,.. eh, i had that one in the bag.. or eww.. thats so early 80s. Well, STFU! make your own list then darnnit.
On crackers - Red pepper and anchovies, mayo with garlic pepper prawn (ok that one was not on the list, just made that up), Sauteed Chopped mushroom parleys garlic in olive oil with bread on side,
Bruschetta with fresh mozzerella (ok that one was not on the list as well, oh crap!)
On toothpicks - Village/ herbed sausage with pickled green chilly, meatballs
Wonton/ samosas/ curry puffs
Steamed asparagus wrapped in prosciutto
Cold sliced cucumber with sour cream/ yogurt and caviar
Cheese platter and spreads and rustic bread or crackers

WOULD YOU COME TO MY PARTY?! wE'LL HAVE WINE, BEERS AND SANGRIAS!

Thank you NY Times. You go on my link list now.

Cuteness

2008-12-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Puggilicious

Playing with Colors

2008-12-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have never ever painted my walls. Not in this house... and not in any other house...ok i think i have a memory of a bad paint job, something in Blue.... bad bad bad,,, *poof*

Anyway, now that we are older and wiser (i hope), lets see whats in store for future walls.
Messed around with this website True Value Paint Where you can select a photo and then choose colors for the walls to see how they would really look. Anyway these were my choices, what do you think? Not sure how they would all go into one house though... Plus my home is tiny, so not really sure if dark colors would go well. Maybe next time.

I used to hate shopping ....

2008-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

.. but i got over
it!
:)

Pressie List - no really i'm not asking Santa (or you) for gifts.. just thought i'd list out some nice gift ideas that interest me. Hopefully they can give you some ideas on what to get for your loved ones. Or let me know some of the stuff you wouldnt mind getting for Christmas... or your birthday.. or valentines.. or mothers day.. or labour day!

*Earthenware- bowls, rustic, old fashioned
*Dressy Tablecloth
*Cushion covers
*Funky Belts, earrings, quirky accessories
*Unique stationary
*Handmade or at least unique/ natural/ scented candles
*Wine - something unique or local if you are in wine country
*Art/ photo Frames ( the bigger the better, even junk store types )
*Hardcover Books, Interior/ Art/ Cooking/ Craft / Photography/ Travel / Bios
*Unique christmas tree ornament
*Cute Piggie Bank/ coin box
*Environment-friendly reusable grocery shopping bag
*Quality organic food products, or uniquely local (from one country to another) - herbs, preserves, sauces
*Pot pourri sachets
*Metal/ glass lanterns for deco
*Indoor mini grill, juicer, crock pot, slow cooker, steamer.... if you know the person doesnt have it and it will be a health benefit
*Indoor plant, bonsai for example
*Gift Voucher - traditional voucher or online store voucher - bookstore, restaurant dinner, spa, massage, photo portrait, make-up makeover, hotel stay, dance/ cooking/ fitness/ craft classes
*Home-made hamper of thing personally selected items. such as wine, caviar, cheeses, chocs, pate, fancy crackers, nutcracker, bottle opener, nuts, fruit
*Wine/ liquer bottle stand/ display
*For those of us who are so left behind by tech, simple digital camera or polaroid, mp3 player, scanner ( these things were expensive but now can cost less than a dinner for 2)
*Matching aprons - father/son, couple, mother/daughter
*Large serving platters
*Good quality board game set, chess set, backgammon
*Gourmet coffee
*Pretty umbrella (only for non supersticious folk)
*Funky beach flip flops/ slippers
*Cool Fridge magnets - perhaps those with personalized photos
*Cool t-shirt with funky message/ graphic/ fan club theme
*Crazy hats - beach hat, sombrero, fedora, beret, top hat, chef hat
*CD of fav artists
*Craft/ Scrapbook making supplies

What do you think? Which pressie would you like to receive? Would love to know...

Spinach Pasta Casserole

2008-12-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

Initially i wanted to make a simple spinach rice - common greek dish. But as usual i got carried away .. and totally made something way different - cept for,.. spinach.

I've created a recipezaar account since i use it as a resource for almost anything i'm planning to cook or bake. Usually i read at least 3-4 recipes of a dish before i decide how 'I' want to make it.

And this recipe is my first post there. I need to improve my photo taking though.
Creamy Spinach Pasta Casserole

I had a bag of frozen spinach thawed and wanted to make regular greek spinach rice, but then my brain got toggled with cream and cheese and mushrooms and pasta for some reason, one thing led to another and the creation of this recipe happened. It was enjoyed, so if it sounds like something you would like, go along and play around with my recipe and tell me about it. Verdict: Not bad. It was a tad undersalted for my taste but i think in general its better than over salted. And you cant tell how salty the cheeses would be. So i would stick to the amounts of salt and just add salt while you are eating if needed. Optional in section B: you could add some chopped whole canned tomatoes - 1 cup. Also for those who prefer some meat in this dish, in section B you could add some cooked ham or turkey. Serve with a nice vinegrette salad of cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, lettuce..

SERVES 8 , 1 casserole dish (change servings and units)

Ingredients
A

* 400 g pasta, 400gm cooked with seasonings and oil, al dente, drained

B

* 400 g frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
* 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 spring onions, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 150 g feta, cut into small cubes

C

* 80 g butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 700 ml milk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
* 2/3 cup cheese, grated

Directions

1. put a pan of water to boil, when boiled add salt or seasoning and about 2 tbsp oil then pasta. dont over cook. AL DENTE!
2. At the same time (1) is on the fire. Put a saucepan on the fire, add about 3 tbsp olive oil, saute onions, garlic for 1 minute, do not brown! Add the dill, spinach, seasoning and mushrooms. Saute for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Just enough to cook through and evaporate any excess liquid from the spinach or mushrooms. Make sure it does not 'fry', just lightly cook/saute. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
3. Drain pasta and pour into casserole dish, spread out at bottom of dish. The pasta should be about the height of half the dish.
4. Top the pasta with the feta, evenly ditribute to make sure that each serving has some cheese. Then top with spinach mixture. Evenly distribute.
5. Microwave the milk on the lowest heat for 2 minutes Check to see if its warm. The temperature we want the milk to be is heated but not Boiling.
6. Preheat the oven to 165C/ 320°F.
7. In a pot, melt the butter, do not burn, on low heat. Add the flour. Stir well, about 1 minute (during this time make sure the milk is heated enough or else blast it on high for 20 seconds). Add the heated milk to the pot, a quarter at a time. Each time mix well till it is as smooth as you can manage before adding more milk. About 30 seconds for each addition of milk - yes that quick. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and let it simmer on medium heat for another 2 minute while still stirring. This should leave you with quite a light, slightly watery white sauce (BECHAMEL) - which is what we want.
8. Pour the white sauce evenly over the spinach. Use a chopstick or butterknife and just lightly poke through the dish and wiggle about to allow some of the white sauce to get to the bottom layer. About 12 spots around the dish if you need to know. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top.
9. Put the casserole dish into the preheated oven. Middle of the oven or so, not to high, dont want the cheese to start to brown before the time is up. If your oven tends to burn the top move the dish lower. Anyway as each oven is different the top of the dish should start to puff up at about 40 mins into cook time. If its not starting to brown at all at this time just increase temp to 175C/350F for the last 15-20mins. Top should be slightly browned all over.
10. Remove and leave to cool. Never serve immediately. Best served about 30-45 mins after removing from oven. Believe me, it will still be more than warm.

Shortbread cookies - take 1

2008-12-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at baking shortbread cookies are safely in the oven right this minute! Seemed simple enough.. although everytime i bake i realise how fattening the stuff we eat on a daily basis is. I mean for this albeit simple recipe.. i used almost an entire block of butter. And i only made 26 cookies... i mean admit it, its not that hard to eat 13 cookies! Thats half a block of butter! and about 10 tsp of sugar!!
Ok so this is not rage against shortbread cookies... just calories in general! Sigh!

Basic Short bread ingredients:
225gm of butter room temp (20Cish! not 32C!)
1/2 - 2/3 cups of icing sugar (if you are using any toppings on the cookie then use the lesser amount)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 and half cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
vanilla/ almond flavouring
for topping - cherries, jam, sprinkles...
*read update at bottom*

Instructions: mix the sugar and butter till its well combined. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix till well combined. Roll into a ball and put it in the fridge, makes it more managable.
Remove and form into whatever shape or just flatten onto your baking tin abt half inch in height (cut into squares after baking and slightly cooled). You may use toppings such as cherrys, jam, colored icing sugar... etc. My batch made 26 medium sized cookies... next time i'll make em smaller. Bake at about 175C for about 15-20 mins.

ok time to check the oven! And remember!! Limit yourself to 5 cookies per day!
*update*
looks like they were a success.... but i think the next time i will use less butter (200gms) and replace the moisture by adding 1 egg yolk. And making them a tad smaller to get at least 32 cookies :) Also seemed like they were a little too plain. Well perhaps they need some filling of jam or dipped in chocolate. Anyway its hard to tell, since i am rarely if ever happy with any creation of mine :)

Christmas mood

2008-12-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to make homemade christmas cards but i always fail... can never make those pretty cutesy cards... sigh.
Painted some simple portraits.. ala old masters like davinci... painted on postard back.

I have a week off work!

2008-12-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

wow! was kinds nervous taking the week off! I know that sounds strange but yeah! its kind of weird having nothing to do but relax.. i was afraid i would drive myself nuts! But bottom line is that i need a break... and on the upside i can take time off to send xmas cards and do a little cookie baking!
Todays menu was Baked fish and potatoes and side salad. My own take on the greek recipe. Usually the fish is grilled but i didnt want to end up with a stinky house and have to wash the grill esp after FISH!
So first i boiled the potatoes so they didnt need long in the oven. The i prepped the fish. Stuffed them with some fresh dill, parsley and garlic. Salt and pepper. Surrounded them with the boiled potato. Sprinkled some dried oregano. Poured the juice of 2 lemons over everything and then the same with half a cup of olive oil. Added 4 tbsp of water to the pan so it won't dry out. Swirled the mixture around and a little extra dash of salt on the spuds for good measure, along with some chopped fresh garlic if you like!. Heated the oven to 220C. Baken uncovered for about 20 mins each side. (yeah the greeks do not like anything undercooked!)
For the salad - Lettuce, cucumber, peppers, spring onion, tomato, kalamata olives. Dressing - some store bought mediteranean dressing and diluted it with more olive oil and lemon and salt.
All in all ... things turned out wonderful, if i do say so myself! :)
.. now waiting for the bread to rise and in a coupla hours... i'll have simple fresh baked bread with sesame on top :)
* the photo attached is of a previous loaf i made.

More furniture that i cant have..

2008-12-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

tip off from one of the house tours on apartment therapy.
Jayson home & garden
some gorgeous stuff

Heavenly smells from the oven!

2008-11-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Recipe taken from Recipezaar

I halved the recipe kinda.
3/4 cup milk warmed in microwave
half cup water warmed in microwave
1 packet instant yeast
1 large egg
4 tbs sugar
half tsp salt
75gm melted butter
100gms raisins
3 mugs all purpose flour

for inside loaf
3 tbs brown sugar or white + 2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs milk

(instructions - you can follow the link)
:)
* i usually let the bread rise in a warmed oven.
my baking time was 45mins at 180C but i think could be done in 40 mins next time.

Apartment Therapy Fix

2008-11-16T14:28:00.001-08:00

One of the most frequented sites by me is 'Apartment Therapy"

It's just a very friendly site, has a lot of stuff to keep you occupied.. ideas for interiors, the kitchen, general home tips and it's updated daily.

Check-out the many home tours, so many styles, budgets, space-sizes,... endless ideas.
This home tour in particular, rocks socks...Check out Dave's New Place

My perfect alfredo recipe

2008-11-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Feeds 4 piggies - or 6 cats
Time to complete: from start of prep to end - 30 mins max
500g pasta - any type, spiral or angelhair or the usual.
200ml cream
butter 2 tbs
half cup milk
bacon chopped from 6 slivers
half tsp pepper
half teaspoon salt or less / half cube chicken cube
half tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves minced
herbs fresh 1 tbsp or dried 1 tsp - parsley
optional - mushrooms, nutmeg

first begin preparing the stuff in this order
put the pot of water to boil(for pasta)
cut up 6 pieces of bacon into small pieces
mix in a bowl 200ml cream + half cup milk
cut up any fresh herbs - parsley or dill... about 1 tbs or 1 tsp dried
shred finely 3/4 cup parmesan or romano
2 cloves garlic chopped or half tsp garlic powder
half tsp black pepper
half tsp salt (or less) or half chicken cube
put a fry pan and melt 2 tbs butter
once melted turn heat up and add bacon
fry till almost crisp
optional i add some mushrooms midway
when water in pasta pot is boiling add salt and oil/butter and pasta
remove frypan with bacon from heat and stir in cream and milk
mix until combined then return to low heat
add herbs, seasoning and cheese
stir on very low heat till combined and thickened - about 2 minutes
turn off heat
hopefully pasta is almost done by now
drain pasta quickly, no need for it to be very drained, little water helps make the sauce a little thinner
quickly toss pasta and all the cream sauce
serve immediately, dash of more black pepper and nutmeg on top

US elections

2008-11-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Hours away from the results...
who do you think will win?

I always had an nagging fear that obama will lose...
but the last days have seen a change... obama sounding more confident and mccain sounding like its all lost and acting desperate.

It will be a fine line... maybe by even just a 2% margin... I think it will be history in the making.

My Bread

2008-10-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've baked bread about 4 times in the last months or so. I guess its not as hard as i thought it would be. Ok so sometimes it doesnt come out so perfect but still its edible... and seriously it never turned out BADDD. I still need to buy proper baking trays... i use the disposable type. I dont think it distributes the heat well... so the top cooks fast and the bottom remains white. I usually have to remove it from the pan and flip it over and bake it an extra 10 mins or so.

If you havent tried baking bread. I think you really should. Try it. Even if its just once. The basic recipe i started out with can be found here Fabulous french bread

Here is my version.
Makes 1 big loaf
Ingredients

* 1 1/4 - or a little more, mugs warm water (warmer than room temp)
* 1.5 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
* 3ish mugs flour - approx 500gms (i mix half white with whole grain/wheat)
* 1 packet instant dry yeast
* flour (for dusting counter top)
* 1 egg, beaten lightly (to brush top of bread)
optional:
1 tsp total of any of these combined rosemary/oregano, basil, thyme, sesame
Half tsp garlic powder

Directions

Pour warm water into a large, warm mixing bowl.
Stir in sugar, salt, oil, flour, and yeast. (if its too soft, add a tbs of flour or if too dry a little warm water.
Mix well for about 2 mins. Add herbs and mix lightly.

Allow dough to rest 10 minutes; then stir down.
Repeat 3 times.
Remove from bowl onto floured surface. Knead lightly. Flatten and roll up into desired shape - i usually place into baking pan, but i guess you could just shape it into a roll and onto a lightly greased tray ala frech loaf. Keep in a warm place cover with teatowel - I store it in a lightly preheated oven, cause its about 18C here) - be careful not to have the heat up too hot or else it either will rise too high/ quickly or.. who knows.. I guess a good temp is if you have a room temp of 30-32C, it good enough. Dont do silly tricks like the oven thing like i do.

Leave it to rise for about 40 mins. (it should double in size - at least)
Cut a few slashes on top and brush with beaten egg. optional sprinkle with sesame
Bake in preheated oven 210C for 10 mins. Then lower heat to 175C and bake for 20-25 mins (if its in a small french loaf shape it may take less than if it was in a baking pan). Check regularly. I usually have to remove from tin and flip it and bake the bottom for another 5-10 mins. Make sure its nice browned all around.

Remove and leave to cool. Remove from pan to cool and let it air... cover with teatowel.

More etsy love.

2008-10-28T03:20:00.000-07:00

you should really buy me a few of these. you'll feel a whole lot better.
whichgoose
i would wear it-maybe not the big crown ones... but for sure the littler comb ones. i wish i could make it.

Romantic Getaway Wish List

2008-10-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

I will take my husband here!!! I will! I will!!

It is so hard to find a balance that both of us would like. He comes from am OLD country and would prefer modern design, whereby i am into modern design BUT i do so adore old stuff :p
So i've found a great balance in this place. Ahh... its not too far away, .... only in my dreams for now :)
But i will i tell ya, i will!

La Minervetta, Sorrenta Italy

Photos taken from booking.sorrentoinfo.com

Etsy find

2008-10-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

Actually was tipped off by a hair piece i saw on off-beat bride...
This lady has some good stuff... seriously unique. If you are looking for something eye-catching and unpredictable for a wedding or gala. Check out Boring Sidney.

Cool Finds on Youtube

2008-10-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ronald Jenkees

Lasse Gjertsen

Elsiane

Flea Shopping

2008-10-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed entertaining last nite. Made some chicken curry, spiced rice (didnt turn out as well as i hoped, coconut milk and sweet corn had something to do with it i think), omelette, ginger beef, cucumber riata. A belated raya celebration i guess. And my red chillies in soy sauce. So happy i found those although they cost 9.60 euro per kilo.

Today went to athens flea market. Bought an old brass key that i had my eye on. Its already up on my wall. Said to be about a 100 years old, who knows. Buts its cool and its huge ... about 8". (the 2 coins added for size comparison - 10 cent euro and 10 sen (RM))

Cleaning Calendar

2008-10-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

OMG cleaning calendar from house to home.

Picture perfect

2008-10-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

It's one thing to have a gorgeous house. But to have someone who can capture it so well... wow.
Tipped off from desire to inspire

Just some homes photographed by Hotze Eisma.
I could really live here... and here ... and here ....

Cheap tricks

2008-10-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Love this article, tipped off from Decorno

Click for more details>
Cheap Design Ideas by college students

Ok, well it does take a lot of creativity and time but inspirational nonetheless.

Style

2008-09-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

I dont mean trendy.
I mean stylish.

Some people are just so effortless put together.
Sure when we see a runway show or flip through magazines, we just kid ourselves and say, 'if i had a cupple-a millions and a busload of stylists and make-up artists and photoshoppers... i could kinda look this great' (ok i dont really say or think that, but for the sake of this blog, lets pretend we both do)
Anyway my point here.
some people are just so damn effortlessly stylish.

i wish i could walk out the door everyday looking this put together.

All photos by Sartorialist If you don't know about him. You are waaayyy lamer than even I.

2008-09-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Lovely Saturday.... IKEA rules!

2008-09-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

What a lovely day spent
:)

Didn't have to go anywhere, no appointments, birthdays, baptisms, weddings, meetups, get togethers.... nada.
Just what was needed. A day for ... whatever.

Got up with a burst of energy. Cleaned up a little of the mess. Tried to organize our shelves. Believe me. It takes some real talent to arrange stuff on shelving. Tis not as easy as it looks in magazines. I've still not managed to succeed in this, but hey...

Dragged our butts to IKEA. They have some new stuff there... had a quick walk around and grabbed a few things. A lovely simple table lamp. Needed to dress up the corner where our fish tank used to be. Lamps just add so much warmth to a room. With energy saving bulbs, they no longer overheat and well, ... they are good for the environment and saves on the bills. :) win-win-win... also got a cheap wok (tried it already, works good so far. a small wall clock, some photo frames, a small rug for the kitchen, some glass bottles for storing water in the fridge. Had our lunch at the cafe in IKEA. good food for unbelievable prices. VALUE!! i had the salmon, man had the meatballs. .... AND the pizza... AND the shrimp cocktail.

Later in the evening, made some choc cake. Amended from a recipe from recipezaar, suitable for diabetics. In mine i added a little melted butter, about a tablespoon and a little more flour and a tad more sugar, replaced the tartar with baking powder. Had a tough time beating the egg whites stiff by hand. phew! So glad when i peeked at the oven and the cake was rising. For a late dinner, tried the new wok, made some fried rice and had that with leftover chicken fillets with sweet sour sauce /tomato-ey.

photo source:recipezaar http://www.recipezaar.com/25340
mine looked similar. cept' i used 2 small baking containers so the center was a little more raised. like a big cupcake.

oohhhh dearrrr

2008-09-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

Its bulan puasa and what a shame i am so far away from all the delish goodies.
Just feasting my eyes on thesee.... sigh

Thanks to 'masak-masak' blog

Lord help me!

I'm surfing.....

2008-09-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

10 most influential design bloggers

More design stuff. Not really thinking about voting for the best design blogs but just browzing to see who i have been missing out on. And perhaps refreshing my blogroll. Not that any are not worth looking at but like to keep my list as slim as can be. Tastes change ... ok maybe seasons change... and life progresses on... I have a lot of weddingy links that are great but i don't refer to anymore, so i might remove em and let you soon to be weddeds find your own way in the digital world.

Serious Shoe

2008-09-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

The truth is... I buy cheap shoes. But I sure love to oogle good quality shoes. Like this one for instance. To die for. I've never quite seen anything like it.
Thanks BeachBungalow8

Here's to you,
Kurt Geige's Eden shoe

Pound Cake

2008-09-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ran out of snacks at home, checked what I had in my fridge and cabinets and decided to look for simple cake recipes on recipezaar.com

Found a few pound cake recipes and made my own rendition.

Al's Basic Cake Recipe

1 mug sugar
A little more than half cup softened/ almost melted butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence or in my case a little tubey thing of vanilla powder
(mix all the above by hand in a plastic Tupperware)
(then alternate, flour and milk)
2 mugs flour + 1 tsp baking powder
Half mug milk
Add 3 pinches of salt

Preheat oven to 350F/ 180C
Bake for about 1 hour, depending on your cake tin. I used 2 small containers (which our takeaway came in - so i only needed about 45 mins)

When baked drizzle some lemon juice mixed with honey on top (juice of less than half a lemon + 1 tsp honey). Serve slightly warm with whipped cream in the side... or whatever you have handy, blueberry jam, fruit preserves, vanilla ice cream...
Serves about 10 large servings or 14 smaller servings

Featured Link

2008-09-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

To tell you the truth,... one of the main reasons for having this blog is so i have a place to store cool links/blogs that i find.. ( i surf a LOT) like a virtual notepad. I log in very often, just to run through the links, most of which are updated very often..... today i'll feature a few gems from on of them. Cribcandy Its late and i'm sorry i sound so flat. Yes, i can literally hear myself.

Fried Rice

2008-09-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Fried rice is probably the one thing asian that i cook most over here. Well one reason why is cause, SO can't get used to plain white rice. So i have to add some flavour to rice if i want to eat rice. Sure I can eat it alone but who wants to cook twice.. thats just plain crazy.
oh, anyway. Well sure i don't make nasi goreng like we do in KL or at the mamak stall. But then again, bear in mind i've probably cooked nasi goreng like twice in my life till i got here, so i would know where to begin anyway. I'm just wondering randomly, what is the one simple thing that you cook most and what goes into that.
I never follow recipes, and whatever i cook changes everytime i make it depending on whats in my storage. Here was what was in my fried rice this week. (it was accompanied by half a roast chicken - bought)
Oil - almost half cup, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 small packet of fried rice seasoning meant for 1 bowl of rice - probably equivalent to 1 stock cube, pepper, 3 slices ham chopped, half cup tomato passata/ puree, 2 handfulls frozen mushroom, frozen green peas, 4 bowls cooked rice, 3 eggs. Kinda in that order. As you can see, i just throw whatever needs to be used up before it gets spoilt really. Tasted good to me. Served with a goo tomato ketchup! :) - you could probably feed 5 hungry people with this.

Recycle Glass Jars!

2008-09-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Tip from Apartment therapy site.
Well it sounds simple but i think its cool to actually use these pasta sauce jars. Although i don't really use premade pasta sauce, so i have to start looking for food products in jars. I think they would look cool for storing odds and ends... esp since i have tonnes of space on my shelves/ book case.
10 simple ways to reuse pasta sauce jars

why i think this idea is cool.
1. Plastic is bad, glass is good!
2. Like the idea of making infused olive oil stuff, salad dressing.. etc
3. Love the idea of using it as a shaker thingy

What other uses can you think of?

Grilled/ BBQ Chicken Recipe

2008-08-18T02:12:00.000-07:00

Had some inspiration from a recipe from recipezaar then went about doing some modifications. Loved the results. If you want to try it go ahead. And tell me if you dig it.

12-15 chicken wings/thigh
3/4 cup bbq sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 medium heaped TEAspoon salt
half teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin, black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
optional - dash of garlic or ginger powder or minced 1 clove garlic/ half inch ginger

Mix all ingredients well and leave to marinate covered in fridge for 2 hours. Mix well before grilling. Use medium heat, as honey tend to burn easily.

Serve with a lemon wedge, cold cucumber yogurt salad, tzatziki

Ps - Believe it or not I already had ALL the ingredients (cept the chicken) already in my fridge. Hehe, not bad huh?

Offbeat Brides

2008-08-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I am already married! But as you can see I still have links to wedding planning sites and I do pop in to see whats new once in a blue moon. PLUS i have a few friends who are looking forward to their weddings soon, so i can't help but be nosy and send them whatever catches my eye now and then. (whether they like it or not)

Found her on www.theknot.com

There are kookier designs on her site, which I couldn't post them on here as she was using flash for the website. Kookie yet wearable i must say.

Featured dress designer
Suzanne Ermann

Bed

2008-08-06T02:54:00.000-07:00

Saw this lovely feature on Indian Summer blog

i
must
have
this
bed
!

See more of Tucker Robbins stuff... esp the beds!

So much catching up to do

2008-08-06T02:22:00.000-07:00

I have so much catching up to do ... so many bloggers to visit!
Havent been around too much .. got carried away with life :)
Have just had a recent spurt of inspiration and would just love to have a couple of days of just painting and painting and snapping polaroids and dying cloth!

Here is a feature for today. I have many inspirational blogs linked on the left. Here is http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/

Some gems that she has featured on her pages. Really had a wide variety of styles.

2008?

2008-01-16T14:23:00.001-08:00

My home decorating is complete. Almost. Anyway, we've had a coupla family and friends get-togethers and everyone seemed to have nice things to say about the place. I can't seem to take good photos of the place. Somehow its hard to capture the feel of it. I do want to post some photos so I can get some feedback. I mean it doesnt really just represent MY taste. It's a combination of both of ours... the big stuff, some old and some new were mostly chosen by HIM and OKed by me, so technically its not a representation of what i would have done, if i were living alone.... but that applies to just about every couple i guess. Overall i am pretty satisfied with what we have done to our lil cosy nest. It feels warm and indeed cosy to me... i wont say anything more till i get some photos posted.

so this seems to be kind of an empty blabbery post. just wanted to say hi... to whoever reads this, who are you anyway?! I do read the blogs on my blogroll list almost daily... its a habit. I wish i had another room to start decorating... (and the budget of course) there is just no more space here for now... maybe in a year or two, we will update the place, with new couches and paint.

PS - i did get hitched. Here, lemme post a photo (or three) we took on the way home from the mayors office.(we had a political wedding) I had 24-hour notice, of the date we were to be married at the mayor's. I was pretty satisfied with the 'party-favors' i made... gold box with matching ribbon and paper flower... traditional sweets inside with our initials in greek letters, handwritten inside the box. Also had to take the photos myself... it was pretty funny esp when i had to sign the wedding paper, then run to the side of the table to take a quick snap of the others. My dress was made in advance by my dear pal Daljeet. She does custom tailoring... msg me for her ebay/etsy store- heck i should add it to the links. ...coming sooon. Its late. night dears..... have a great day, week, month... 2008

the 25th has passed!!

2007-12-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

that means SALES!!! for christmas deco!
lets see what i can get my hands on for NEXT year! haha... i'm such a cheapie!

Making my life complete

2007-12-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

Erasing one problem at a time...

Do you know how to fold fitted sheets?
Photo demo with instructions!

Malaysian Eco/ Nature Holidays

2007-12-13T23:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to 'desiretoinspire' blogspot. CHeck out this location that she featured Serendah Retreat. Reminded me of some of the unique holiday options available at my home country Malaysia. Just thought i'd note some of the popular ones, for future reference, when i'm visiting home. Lots of friends from over here are dying to visit malaysia, and i do think that 1 day in the city is enough. the beauty is in the rainforest, islands and villages.

Bako National Park
Endau - Rompin
Gunung Mulu National Park
Kinabalu National Park
Niah National Park
Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary
Taman Negara

General Travel to Malaysia sites:
Tourism Malaysia
Cuti- Cuti Malaysia
Malaysia Site
Marimari

Wall Paint Ideas #2

2007-11-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

Had a fun day at IKEA yesterday. Not only the shopping, but the food too. SO affordable.. and same menu whichever country you are in. I'm in love with their salmon. But i was so dissapointed that they didn't serve it with their steamed/boiled broccoli and potato.. instead they served it with shoe string french fries.... I almost threw a tantrum when they handed me the plate. Poached salmon with butter and chive sauce with french fries? god help me.

Anyway, we got some good ideas of the stuff we need to buy, will revisit in a few months. I also still want to add some color to the walls. They are newly painted and a nice warm color now... but oh you know... i just need MORE MORE MORE.... always.

Revisited the fall contest at Apartment Therapy

Art Art Art Madness

2007-11-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking and planning and consulting with my partner on what would look nice on our future art/photo wall. The tough part is... he is NOT interested in art. The more abstract it is, the more indifferent he is.The more abstract it is... yum yum to me. Anyway, its all good. Here are some goodies..... i like i like i like... can't breathe when i look at these......

All inspiration are from Desire to Inspire

Video Recipes

2007-10-15T00:54:00.001-07:00

Watch 'How-To' Video clips on popular recipes
http://www.videojug.com/tag/food-and-drink

Pretty cool to 'watch' how its done, and most clips are under 8 mins per recipe.

Storage ideas 1

2007-10-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

So its all about organising, storing..... maximising space.

Never saw one of these before '
Kitchen Island And Bar With Caramel Oak Finish'

Need a few more slots for the wine but other than that, in the right space its cool, no?

The Beginning...

2007-10-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Its my first day in my new home in Athens. The man did a good job with setting up our litle cosy home with all the little basics. So now its supposed to be my turn from a house into our little nest. What credentials do i have to win such a huge task?! No, i'm not asking YOU that... i'm just thinking outloud thanks.

None.

I'm not even a neat person. That along with being pampered and being looked after by others all my life. Yea.... poor me. Lol. Up till 2 days ago, i didn't need to wash my own dishes, underwear, toilet ... etc. I'm not bragging. What i'm saying is that... ohh boy, I have so much catching up to do in this 'adult' phase of life.

So as this whole blog was started in preparation of this phase, lets begin with the SWOT analysis of what I'll be dealing with. In my home-making endeavour.

First and foremost, our home is compact. We have a room, a bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. Outdoor we have a nice tiled-yard space and its own small toilet. :)

I'm thankful that I have virtually no budget at this moment. Cause my first step should really be about deciding what to do with what we already have. The place is already full, therefore before i can actually purchase anything, I really feel that we need to make more room. Basically either removing stuff, reorganising, repacking/ storing, ... catch my drift?

Sounds fun eh? Well it's good practice for me. Relatively easy day today, just getting used to the place. Thought i'd throw out the towel and sheets and refold them. Might move on to the clothing if i can get off my fat ass and tummy stuffed with yesterdays Beef Pasta. :)

Photo Wall

2007-09-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'll totally need a photowall.

Just a small side wall or something, not a mainwall, Perhaps even in the kitchen next to the chalk wall... or maybe the chalkwall IS my photowall.. how totally artsy crazy and perfect IS that.

Here is a little inspiration.

Click the images to go to the rightful owners pages..... tipped off by Decor8

Shell Chandeliers

2007-09-20T01:11:00.000-07:00

Instantly a wave of nostalgia swept over me... these were popular in the 70s i think.

Same makers for the side tables below OLY

Side Tables

2007-09-20T00:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes too matchy matchy sucks.... 3+2+1 living room sets with table and side table.... bleh... always thought having an odd armchair would make living rooms so much more... character-ized. These side tables would do the similar thing i guess... or used at the end of a hallway or outdoor living area..

Shoes

2007-09-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'll have my first Dress fitting tomorrow. I'm supposed to already have my shoes. Don't have em.
Found some gems. If only these just sprung up in front of my eyes. I'm not going to splurge on shoes. Looking for a bargain. If i cant find em, I'll go with plain 3" pumps.

My taste is kinda Classic. My dress is very simple and i don't want any sparly stuff or strappy ones.

Deco Havennnn

2007-09-13T03:46:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Thuss, You are a freakin' genius. I just cannot describe how much i enjoyed looking through her portfolio. If only i had an ounce of whatever thats going on in this girl's mind, love the mix-and-match.... grrr.

Thanks kenziekate for this lovely tip-off.

Flower Arrangements

2007-09-06T02:03:00.001-07:00

Again coming from a lower budget point of view for possible table setting ideas. I do think single flowers in interesting simple vases, cups, glasses and odd bits are ohhh sooo chic.

I dont really see how a big vulgar EXPENSIVE bunch of flowers trumps these gems. It really makes nooo sense to me. PLUS: who needs expensive vases, just keep an eye out for interesting glasses and even some plastic ones might look really cool. Take out those old dusty cocktail glasses, its time they be centerpieces!

Lighting - Minimalist Chandelier

2007-09-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

Ok so i've gotten more than one eyeroll for ever blurting out that i wanted a chandelier in my bathroom. Still have no idea why that would be bizarre to anyone.
So what are the things that would stop me from getting one? Well i guess it would mainly be price factor, availability and perhaps power saving. Along comes this little gem from Charles and Marie
Ok so USD 55 is not dirt cheap but hot-damn this is cute and pretty brilliant. And it would work nicely in small corners or a tiny bathroom. So darn cute it is. I must must look for who invented this first.

Description from their site: Basically it is a glass ring with glass hooks that slides over any normal bulb and attached to the glass hooks are strands of crystals that dangle down from the bulb, turning any non-descript and dull bulb into a big, grown up chandelier.

Stumbled on their site whilst i was doing my daily browzing from my blogroll. Thanks for the tip kenziekate . Her post on these gems - fancy plastic cutlery, also from Charles & Marie. Gosh, never seen plastic cutlery that looked really 'posh'. Choose a color to go with your theme. Any of these on white linen and nice colorful paper napkins.... very very cool.

Description from their site: .. Designed by Donata Paruccini and Fabio Bortolani and inspired by traditional Italian cutlery from the end of the 1800's.

Kitchen Stuff

2007-09-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

Found these great finds from Beachbungalow8. Must add her to my blogroll.
OK so i can hear some of the guys start sighing again. I know human dont NEED these 'special' spoons. Shush! we will one day believe me!

Ok so we actually do need a spoon that can perch itself on a pot.

Pink ice cream spoons? errmmm... ice cream time does deserve more than your usual dinner spoon. Ok so i'll get baby blue one for the machomen!

These great finds are by:Spoon Sisters

Wellbeing Madness

2007-09-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

I realise i get mad too easily.. Do you? Anyway, its no fun being mad, upset, over react... etc. We all just want to get along dont we? Usually i get frustrated about situations and I try my damdest to talk about it and solve it and i'm using all the best communication tools i know... i dont get mad and scream and shout or throw things, but still i dont think i am anywhere near being successful with dealing with stress and having an open 'discussion'. Came across this similar predicament here by No Impact Man
Anyway read the article i found there...
"Krishnamurti, the late philosopher, speaker and recipient of the United Nations Peace Medal, says that the way to bring peace to the world is to bring peace to ourselves. To bring peace to ourselves, he says, we have to let go of the false idea of the ego which constantly lords itself over the rest of our personalities. He says we have to let go of the very idea that there is an ego, ...
read more

Cupcake Cake!

2007-09-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

Might be a cheaper alternative to tiered wedding cakes. Not sure yet, but the idea is growing on me, if the dollar signs prove this, I might go for it.

Have one classic layer on top and however many cupcakes at the bottom, one of each guest or so. COuld also cut back on desserts too as this could be put on the dessert table as a centerpiece.

Penny Pinching

2007-09-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today's best find. Ron & Debbie's Penny Pinching Page.
They have a great resource of ideas from personal experiences to friends and readers on a number of ways to save money. A good 'wedding' section for those of us on a budget and also other ways to save money or manage it better, such as how best to use leftovers, shopping tips, yard sales, DIY stuff.... they are just cool. And non of those fancy-schmancy web shit... just good old fashioned writing and sharing.

I'll need to keep reading... but i see they havent updated in awhile.... need to check that, maybe they have a new page? who knows.. but there is enough info there to keep me entertained awhile.

Planning a wedding?

2007-08-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

I'm having a great time thinking of wedding day ideas. Its a special day isn't it? People are coming to share it, arent they? So might as well make it as personal and meaningful as can be done with whatever budget you have. I do believe the level of success a wedding event has, has little to do with the amount you spend. I mean sure, you can't talk up a 4-tier wedding cake without any money or get more gem stones on my dress or free flow alcohol bar.... etc. Sure those things are nice. But i've been to too many weddings were lots of care and money were spent and its inevitable guests still complain. So what it boils down for me is just not to cater too much about what people will be impressed with but to celebrate the marriage between two people, and find ways to express the personalities of the couple and share it with the guests. I think its all about personalization. I think if you have a unique invite, a cake and deco that reflect care and love and not 'abundance' it will most likely be appreciated more. We'll just see how well i did in a few months. How do i rate 'well'? Hmm... if i can get home and feel i had a good time and i managed to be relaxed to enjoy all the important moments. Had time to appreciate the people attending. I think thats what would satisfy me. Anyway it sounds preachy, i'll have to rewrite this later. It's a holiday today, and why did i wake up at 6am when i could sleep in late? I have no clue.

Found this awesome site. The Knot
Really resourceful place.

Cakes - even smaller

2007-08-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Nice site and portfolio... the passion and art is evident! Very professional looking cakes yet the ones i admired had a very homemade/ loose style... more fluid.
Cakes by ' Cake That'
Check my link list, they also have a blog.

Am I getting closer to my perfect cake? Who knows.... I might just bake it myself. Opps, did i mention i've never iced a cake before?

Cakes - small classics

2007-08-25T07:16:00.001-07:00

The closer i get to the date the more my 'theme' seems to be coming together... these are small, more classic looking cakes probably to cater for 60-150 servings. I don't think i'll have 3-tiers, at most 2.

All cakes by Coffey Cakes

Invitation Cards

2007-08-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

Just too many details and too little time...

Just the beginning of my invitation tirade...

Simple site... pricey? Lots to choose from though. All images, property of: http://www.invitations-rsvp.com/

Cabinet + Wall -> White + Colors

2007-08-12T04:50:00.000-07:00

White cabinets might be a good idea for my small space.... and set against white walls they make the items on the shelves pop...

a single Dark olive green or bluish-gray wall is a 'unique' option to set against a white room.

Save the planet, save the people!

2007-08-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

You know saving the planet has been quite the topic of late. I mean it has been a hot topic since the 80s too. Seems to come and go... school recycling projects... etc. Somehow i dont think its really catching on as a way of life here in Malaysia.

I'm the last person to be promoting these causes but the media has really highlighted some issues and the bombardment has really drilled in a few points, in my mind anyway. I've realised that i have been wrong. I always thought i was sensitive to the environment and well a naturalist at heart... i've always had the 'passion' for living with the basics, pro organic foods etc.... but i never really stopped and moved to the next step of really 'doing' anything. I'm soooo guilty of wasting paper, using plastic bags, bottles, not recycling, leaving the shower/ tap running, not switching off electric switches, leaving the lights on.... the list goes on. I dont even think i do a single things to improve all these crimes in my daily life. It's a shameful thing.

I know this is a shallow post in terms of what i know about living green or how we can really help this causes... its just shameful.

I've found a blog of a family who are living 'No Impact' as they can in urban settings. I figure adding this blog read to my daily reads might give me some ideas and get me off my butt in actually doing something about it and learning more about this subject.

BALANCE - Coffee Table

2007-08-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

Found this through
Cribcandy
.. one of the places i surf on by very often.

This one's made by novamodern. They don't have many pieces on their website, but oh well, this one is pretty neat. Looks classy without being boring and looks innovative without being overly gimmicky.

Looking at it in thumbview now in hindsight the thickness of the material is a little thin, but then again it has to be seen in actual size to determine that. One again this piece might look good even in an outdoor shaded patio.... its a piece i like but its not for my next place... maybe the one after that one... :)

Bargain Hunting #1 - Tableware

2007-07-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

This is the first time i will be showcasing something that i myself found and purchased. Yeay! Unfortunately it was a roadside bargain, so if any of you out there want to purchase it there isnt a store or website. :) These were sold at a makeshift stall, and I'm sure the goods were made in China. I mean ok, so there are a lot of cheap poor quality mass produced stuff that come along... but i'm pretty happy with the quality of these stuff. I'll be taking them with me to my new home in a few months. That was the only reason i didnt buy more stuff, it would be impossible to carry all of it without busting the check-in weight limit.

Hope you like these, i know i do. Over in these parts of the word i guess you can buy similar objects for about the same prices, usually the small bowls come in white porcelain with blue patterns or vise versa. Never seen these blue on green designs. With the little dragon designs on them etc, they are pretty cool, perhaps not 'traditional' but so cool!
In the background you can see a couple of teacups with covers... bought 3 of those in different designs... very cool pieces and they have a separate piece inside that captures/strains the tea leaves. Prices: Bowls for Euro 2.40 for 3 pieces. And teacup with cover and strainer @ Euro 1.20 per set.

Wall Colour-Teal

2007-07-31T00:36:00.000-07:00

I've had this fascination with this color for awhile now. Its always good to see samples of how its used etc. I've realised this color can be oh-so-right or totally disastrous. I really like how its paired with the dark brown wall. I think it works in smaller settings too like the 'toilet' sample, but accompanied with lots of white accessories... like shelving and white curtains or lots of frames etc. Looking at these samples, ... well i think it looks good and i dont think it can really be improved much if i were to use it in my future space... having my doubts though. Maybe its a trend thats slowly ebbing away in my mind. Somehow i dont think it matching my overall personality... am i willing to give this idea up yet? ... we'll see. Maybe a small compromise can be met. Maybe it would look good in a really small area... sigh!

Industrial Living Room

2007-07-25T00:54:00.000-07:00

Link
photographs by Aaron Thomas
Found at Rate my Space
.... where regular people post photos of their dwellings to get feedback and 'rate their spaces'.

This is so me, i think. love love love it. However its too one dimensional. I'd have to have other rooms or areas, perhaps outdoor etc where i can experience other themes...

My Face in Lights!

2007-07-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

Those are photos by me of me.. :) Someone was browzing my deviantart gallery and asked for permission to use them for these light fixtures. Interesting idea. The results are pretty cool i think, anyway the rest of the ID is pretty cool too, check em out online or if you happen to be in Hollywood, drop by personally. Citizen Smith

Pilsner! Prost!

2007-07-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

Found this lovely glassware, nicked from the lovely blog

http://hollysplate.blogspot.com/

How unique to have a nice cold beer from one of these lovely Pilsners! Not sure how the tough guys would like that but then hey, do I look like i care?

Olive Tray

2007-07-24T00:33:00.001-07:00

at Etsy

Never seen a tray for serving olives. Looks yum. Sigh! Good Deal for $12 (not inclusive of shipping) Check out her etsy store, more lovely stuff.
Reminds me that i've always wanted to learn sculpting... maybe pottery will be my thing. Lots of things to learn about it though. Materials. Especially if you're gonna eat off it!

*Update*
Mr Hurley stopped by and commented, "Just what the world REALLY needs.... an olive tray!" Hehe... that never even crossed my mind when i saw this! How weird... do we REALLY need one? hell no, but i still WANT one. Doh!